Budget Travel Webpage

If you are cutting back your budget on travel this year, why not go on a vacation with a difference? You spend less than a fraction of the total travel cost on a staycation. Staycation is a new age term that refers to vacationing in your hometown and exploring it with a new pair of eyes.

Vacationing at home will certainly cut back on expenses. Now all you have to do is decide what to do to actually feel as though you are on vacation. I have just returned from a staycation in a local five star hotel. The good thing is I managed to clinch a good deal by paying only $250 a night with taxes compared to the usual $500 albeit without breakfast within the hotel premises.

Start by looking for an accommodation for the weekend. Look at hotel websites to see if they have special weekend deals or check any online hotel sites for great discounts. What places of interest are close by that you have never had the time or opportunity to visit? Are there any restaurants you have never tried or parks you have never visited? No matter how big or small the town or city where you live, there are probably places you have never been too. Why not decide to try a few of them on this vacation.

Plan your itinerary to ensure you have a well-spent staycation. Check out good places to eat or local events you can witness.  If you like the theatre, check out what’s on and get ready to book seats.

Bring just enough cash so you don’t tend to overspend. Keep your credit or debit card at bay but hidden from your sight in cash you need to use it. If you don’t intend to shop, stay away the shopping malls or tourist souvenir shops at places of interest. 

There are so many fun and relaxing things you can do without going shopping. Enjoy a good book by the beach or by the hotel pool while sipping your favourite drink. Watch the sunset or sunrise by the beach- something you hardly do on a workday or on any other weekend. Walk along the streets of heritage site and check out its architecture and window shop at curiosity or antique shops.

Go for nature walks or visit the gardens. Enjoy the greenery and the variety of flora around you. Alternatively, soak in the sights and sounds of the city where the baskers perform or witness street events. Feast your eyes on the local harbour and check out local museums or art gallery. Enjoy a cone of ice cream or a nice steaming cup of local coffee as you immerse yourself in the surroundings.

Look at the local sites from a different perspective and you will appreciate them more in that way.

You will realize that you would have save about half the cost of travel if you choose to be a staycationer for once. You save a lot by not having to purchase an air ticket and cutting down on the number of days you choose to be away from work.

You will feel as much invigorated by being away from home for the weekend as you would have been if you’d been away from the country for a week. Apart from stretching your dollars, the plus side of being a staycationer is you don’t have to deal with the lethargy of jetlag.

Travel may not be an expensive leisure activity. It all depends on how you plan, how much time you spend planning your vacation, where you look for the best deals, the time you choose to travel and some frugal sense.

Check out the following ideas to save money on the road:

1. Look for alternative accommodations. Accommodation can be very expensive, especially hotels. Two good alternatives are hostels and apartment rentals. People think hostels are only for young backpackers and think of these as places where you’d have to share bathrooms. Well that’s not really true. Hostels offer private rooms with their own bathroom, wireless, and towels which are of course slightly more expensive than dormitory lodging and way cheaper than what hotels charge. You can find some of the amenities you’ll find in any hotel at half the price. They have a wide range of rooms to suit all types of travellers so don’t overlook them! (Read my post on “Hostel Accommodation’)

If the private room with attached bathroom in hostels you are looking up are fully booked (bear in mind they have limited private rooms in hostels) you can still stand a chance at budget hotels which offers the same amenities as the higher end hotels at a lower price.

On the other hand, apartment rentals are another option. Why not stay in fully furnished apartments while you are on vacation? Apartments are especially great for traveling families. They come with all the normal apartment amenities — kitchen, laundry room, and TV. If you plan to spend five or more days in a city, these are great cost effective alternatives to hotels. If you plan to travel during low peak season, you can save a lot on accommodation.

2. Learn to negotiate. Times are tough for the travel industry. If you must seek the services of a travel agent, use this to your advantage by asking for free upgrades or negotiating lower rates. You may be surprised by how accommodating any travel agent can be.

3. Think before you use your credit card. Should you use travel credit card? If you are a frequent traveller and are comfortable with carrying credit cards, specialty cards that help you earn free miles or allow you to secure free or very cheap lodging at otherwise higher priced hotels it may be worth to use the card. If you don’t have such deals, then you are better off not using credit cards. A debit card will do or alternatively change enough cash in your local money changer’s to avoid paying more than you should at your destination. 

4. Book flights in advance. Airlines are always the most expensive part of a trip. Booking 6 to 8 weeks before you leave will ensure the best price. The airline pricing system penalises last minute tickets as well as more advanced bookings. Moreover, always book a return trip: you’ll get a better deal that way too. There will be last minute deals available but unless you want to take a huge risk, it is wiser to book in advance.

5. Always visit the tourist office. These offices have all the information you need on the place or city you are visiting including the latest deals and discounts and free events happening in the city.

6. Get a City Pass. City passes give you full access to city attractions and transport for less. If you like to see museums or visit historic sites, then entrance fees can add up pretty quickly. It is much cheaper to get a city pass which will usually give you free entry into the majority of a city’s attractions and unlimited use of the public transport in the city for a day.

7. Opt to eat out for lunch and eat in for dinner. It’s much better and relatively cheaper to have a set lunch than dinner. You can make your own sandwich for dinner by purchasing bread and cheese, lettuce and cold cuts from the grocers. The money saved can be used for other purposes such as transport or paying for entry to tourist attractions.  

8. Stay connected for free. Do you need to check your emails while you travel? You can always get free access to the internet in libraries and free wi-fi in most cafes or fast food restaurants like McDonald’s. Check out the city’s wi-fi zones where you can plug in for free.

There are a variety of ways to save money when you go on vacation. It takes simple planning, research, frugality and thinking outside of the box. Oh yes and also some self-restraint like not buying unnecessary things while you are abroad. Check your priorities and stick to them.  

If you need to rent a car on your next holiday trip, think twice. Do you need to travel into the country far from the city and have a list of places of interest to visit? If your answer is a yes, then renting a car is a sound option. Many travellers have the assumption that car rental rates are all about the same, and that shopping is a waste of time. You may be surprised that rates do vary, sometimes by quite a bit, between companies and destinations. Just check several car rental companies on the net and you will see what I mean. It pays to know the hidden costs involved and to avoid paying unnecessarily to rent a car for your holiday trip.

The tips below will help you to save costs on your next holiday trip abroad:

1) Surf the Net. As is the case with many purchases, you’ll usually find the best rates on the Internet. Renting online will afford you the luxury of seeing what rates look like on any vehicle you intend to rent. Also, many companies offer special discounts to people who rent online. Rates will obviously vary from company to company, depending on vehicle availability, location and other factors.

2) Go for weekday rates. Weekday rates are cheaper as less people tend to rent cars for holidays on weekdays. If you intend to rent a vehicle for several, go for weekly special rates as they tend to be cheaper than daily rates.

3) Beware of hidden fees and extras. Refuel charges: Typically, renters have two choices when it comes to fuel: You can pay for a full tank of petrol in advance or you can opt to refuel it yourself when you collect the car. Unless you plan on using the entire tank of petrol, prepaying will cause you to pay for more fuel than you actually consume especially if you rent the car just for a day.

Tax charges: Also, you can typically expect to pay 10-15% (or more) in taxes when you rent a car.

Loss and damage waiver (LDW): Rental agencies always push their loss and damage waiver on you when you’re signing up. This option typically provides you with zero-deductible coverage for any sort of loss or damage to the rental vehicle. Unfortunately, it comes at a price — usually $20-$30/day or more.

Individual car insurance almost always covers rentals. Moreover, many credit cards provide car rental insurance if you pay for your rental with the card.

Drop-off charges: If you pick up at one location and return at another, you might be subject to a drop-off fee, even if the other location is just down the road. This isn’t always the case, though, so check at the rental counter.

Mileage limits: In many cases, car rental agencies limit you to a certain number of miles per day (usually around 150). Exceed this limit and you can expect to pay $0.25-$0.50 for each additional mile.

Upsizing: Last but not least, it’s not uncommon for a rental agency to run out of small sized cars. In such cases, the standard practice is to upgrade you to a larger vehicle. The bigger cars get worse mileage, and you might find yourself spending far more on gas than you have anticipated.

 4) Airport rentals are best avoided. It’s often very convenient to rent a car at the airport, but keep in mind that you’ll pay for the privilege. If you’re on a business trip, many times you can rent a car from your downtown hotel. If you can conveniently arrange a hotel shuttle or public transportation from airport to front desk, you’ll save money taking delivery off the airport grounds.

5) Decline the insurance. Companies make big profits from insurance fees. It is very likely, however, that your auto insurance policy at home covers rentals as well. Call your agent to verify it.

Also check with your credit card company to see if using the card to pay for a rental provides collision coverage.

6) Book early. Rates depend on how many vehicles the company has on the lot at the time the rental is made, so sooner is better. Reserve your car at least a week in advance.

7) Avoid renting child safety seats. If you’re taking your child on board, you can save some dollars by bringing your own child safety seat. Rental companies can charge almost $10 per day for child safety seat rental.

As you can see, it pays to take some time to compare prices online. Call up the rental company to clarify any doubts so that you will not get misled by sales gimmicks online. Decide on the best deals and be mindful of the tips mentioned above in order to avoid unnecessary spending.